INFLATION

Food, beverage and household products companies have been pressured for months by rising commodity costs and their stocks have paid the price, but Kimberly-Clark Corp showed on Monday things could be even worse.

In the lightest volume session of the year, stocks fell after a lowered outlook from Kimberly-Clark heightened concerns about higher commodity costs squeezing profits in coming quarters.

In the lightest volume session of the year, U.S. stocks fell on Monday after a lowered outlook from Kimberly-Clark increased concerns about higher commodity costs squeezing profits in coming quarters.

For the first time ever, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke will hold a press conference on Wednesday after the Fed’s policy announcement. The key issue is likely to be inflation.

U.S. stocks slipped on Monday on concerns over higher commodity costs denting corporate profits, highlighted by a lowered outlook from consumer products company Kimberly-Clark.

U.S. stocks fell on Monday on signs some corporate outlooks were being strained by concerns over higher raw material costs, including consumer products maker Kimberly-Clark Corp.

Gold and silver continue to defy expectation and climb higher by the day.

Since the height of the financial crisis, gold prices have soared, oil has surged, the US dollar has somewhat declined against other currencies, and US consumer price inflation has only inched up slightly.

Data on how the U.S. and British economies fared in the first three months of the year due next week will likely highlight the tenuous nature of the recovery from recession in developed countries.

China's inflation will fall slightly in the second half of 2011, but it will be tough to keep the full-year rise in consumer prices below the government's 4 percent ceiling, an official said in remarks reported on Sunday.

China's inflation will fall slightly in the second half of 2011, but it will be tough to keep the full-year rise in consumer prices below the government's 4 percent ceiling, an official said in remarks reported on Sunday.

Venezuela’s inflation is at 29 percent and Argentina’s actual inflation (many allege the government data is fraudulent) is north of 20 percent.

The Japanese yen and gold may be in trouble as countries around the world set for budget austerity and rate hikes in 2011.

The US dollar is in a new phase of depreciation, said Douglas Borthwick of Connecticut-based Faros Trading.

The yuan ended at a fresh record high on Friday as the central bank continued to allow the currency to rise to help fight imported inflation, but onshore traders remained convinced it would not resort to any one-off revaluation despite rumors overseas.

President Obama just announced that his Attorney General will form a task force to probe fraud in the energy market. What the Attorney General should do instead is investigate the Federal Reserve.

McDonald's Corp forecast higher prices for beef, dairy and other items and said it would cautiously raise prices to keep attracting diners, who are grappling with higher grocery and gas bills.

Truck drivers in Shanghai, China have been staging a protest against rising fuel prices which they claim is deeply hurting their businesses.

McDonald's Corp reported a higher-than-expected quarterly profit on Thursday as the world's largest restaurant company posted March sales that topped analyst expectations.

Real gross domestic product (GDP) growth in the United States will reaccelerate, and reach 3.5–4 percent in the second half of this year, IHS Global Insight said in its April World Flash report.

Gold rallied above $1,500 an ounce for the first time on Wednesday, extending this week's record run as investors hedged growing inflation risks and bought into a broad commodities rally as the dollar slumped.